Knicks-Pacers Preview

By MICHAEL MAROTPosted May 14 2013 1:16PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indiana Pacers have been converting second chances all season.

They're not about to stop now.

After blowing a chance to take command of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Game 2, the Pacers rebounded for an 11-point win in Game 3 and have another opportunity to take command of this best-of-seven series by beating New York at home Tuesday night in Game 4.

"We should approach this game the same way that they're going to approach it, and that's a must-win," Pacers swingman Paul George said Monday. "We've got to get this game. We've got to get this game under our belt, take care of our home court. That'll just set us up to take care of business on the road."

The Pacers couldn't have created a better blueprint.

Only two teams -- Indiana and Memphis -- started the week with perfect home playoff records. Indiana has won its four games by an average of 16.5 points and Memphis headed into Monday night's game with a 13-point victory margin at home. As for the Knicks, well, they're 0-3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse this season.

Indiana also finished the regular season as the NBA's best rebounding team and has been even more dominant in the playoffs, something New York has learned the hard way. The Knicks have been beaten up on the glass in both losses and were outscored 20-10 on second-chance points Saturday night.

If the Pacers do that again in Game 4, the second-seeded Knicks probably will go home facing a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series Eastern Conference semifinals.

"We don't want to get relaxed. We don't want to feel happy or complacent," George said. "We've got to come out and play, again, the same way that they're going to approach the game, and that's just with a lot of energy. We have to match their energy but still play our style of basketball."

Lately, New York has looked downright anemic offensively and it doesn't appear their bench is getting much better, literally.

Guard J.R. Smith, the NBA's top sixth man, actually increased his shooting percentage playing just hours after spiking a 102-degree fever Saturday morning. He missed practice Sunday and Monday, but participated in Tuesday morning's shootaround and appears to be ready. Forward Kenyon Martin, who has been defending Indiana's big men, woke up feeling ill Sunday and missed two practices. Yet he, too, was there for Tuesday's shootaround and pronounced himself ready to go.

Iman Shumpert's status is far less certain. Shumpert appeared to get hurt on an awkward, twisting fall in Game 3 - injuring the same knee that required surgery last May after he tore a ligament - and the Knicks were planning on Tuesday to bring in an orthopedic doctor to take a look.

"He took a hard spill, so sure there's concern," coach Mike Woodson said. "I'm not a doctor. I just saw the leg went out from underneath him."

NBA scoring champion Carmelo Anthony and Smith are a combined 40 of 112 from the field against Indiana, and Anthony is trying to rebound from a dismal fourth quarter in which he had no baskets and only two points.

And New York has to break out of this funk against one of the NBA's stingiest defenses by winning on the road.

Could it get any worse for the Knicks?

"I wouldn't want to go back home down 3-1, so Tuesday's a pivotal game for us," Woodson said. "I have to get these guys pumped up and ready to go."

Things sound promising.

Following the latest loss, Anthony told reporters things would be different in Tuesday's rematch. When the Knicks returned to practice Sunday, they looked and sounded like a team that was more interested in staying composed than getting angry.

"There can't just be one or two guys out there," center Tyson Chandler said. "It has to be an entire time and that's where we're falling short right now."

The Pacers might have even more to prove, though.

After starting the season with visions of reaching at least the conference finals, they are now just two wins away from achieving that goal. A year ago, they were in exactly the same spot -- up 2-1 with Game 4 at home.

But Miami won the next three games, knocking the Pacers out of the playoffs and teaching them a valuable lesson.

"It shows that a 2-1 lead means nothing," Pacers guard George Hill said. "A team can make miracle plays and miracle games. So, we felt like this before last year up 2-1 and really kind of let our guard down in Game 4 and gave them back that momentum and they kicked us out the playoffs because of that. We just have to come into Game 4 with that same energy and effort, just like we're down 2-1 with our backs against the wall."

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Pacers rout Knicks 93-82 to take 3-1 series lead

By MICHAEL MAROTPosted May 14 2013 11:02PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indiana Pacers finally figured it out.

When given the chance to take command of a playoff series, they can't give it back. On Tuesday night, they didn't.

George Hill scored 26 points and Paul George had 18 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, leading the Pacers past the New York Knicks, 93-82 and to within one win of their first conference finals appearance since 2004.

"We wanted it," George said. "For us to come out with that edge, still, after being up 2-1 and being on our floor for Game 4, for us to be up and ready and have an edge to play, it just speaks to how focused we are right now."

It was a far cry from what Indiana experienced a week ago in New York. Or last year at home against Miami.

Last week, the Knicks rallied from a Game 1 loss, using a 30-2 run to blow out Indiana at Madison Square Garden and even the series.

A year ago, the Pacers held a 2-1 lead over Miami but gave away Game 4 and never won again. Miami went on to win the NBA crown.

So the Pacers went into Tuesday night determined not let it happen again, certainly not with former stars Reggie Miller and Rik Smits in the house watching their old team hand it to their old rivals.

"I just think that our focus has been better than it was," Indiana's David West said. "We might have surprised ourselves going in there and getting Game 1. Naturally, we may have had a little letdown, but we talked about maintaining our home court and our focus in these two games and we were able to accomplish that. Our next goal is to compete hard with an opportunity for a close-out game in a tough environment."

The Pacers were strong defensively again, had another big rebounding advantage (54-36) and never really let the Knicks challenge them in the second half. They can wrap up the series Thursday night in New York.

Desperate New York tried everything to change the script. Nothing worked.

Kenyon Martin played 29 minutes and J.R. Smith logged 31 1/2 despite missing practice Sunday and Monday because they were ill. Guard Iman Shumpert started even with a sore and swollen left knee that had the Knicks so worried they brought an orthopedic doctor to Indy to examine it Tuesday. The doctor determined there was no structural damage.

Amare Stoudemire was called for four fouls in 11-plus minutes in his second game back since March 7 and had only four points and four rebounds.

NBA scoring champion Carmelo Anthony finished with 24 points before fouling out with 2 minutes left in the game. He took only four shots in the fourth quarter and was held without a basket over the final 12 minutes for the second straight game.

Smith, the NBA's top sixth man, scored 19 points, most coming in a futile attempt to rally his team late.

And on a night New York shot just 35.6 percent from the field and 28.6 percent on 3-pointers, the ugliest part may have been how the Knicks lost their composure, giving away points on technical foul calls, arguing with the refs, even smacking the press table in frustration.

"I can't lose hope," coach Mike Woodson said. "It takes four games to get out of this series. We go home, we handle our business and we get back here on Friday and see if we can force Game 7."

Game 6 would be Saturday, but given the Knicks' track record at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, it might not matter.

New York dropped to 0-4 at Indiana this season. The Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies are the only playoff teams that are unbeaten at home. Indiana has won all five home games by double digits and has won five of its last six overall.

New York is convinced it can get things turned around quickly after losing five of its last seven, mostly because of horrendous shooting.

"It's do or die, we got to win the next game," Anthony said. "But there's no need for anyone to hang their heads at this point. We've still got a game to play, we've still got to play basketball and we've got to do it being very confident and knowing and believing that we can do it."

How bad was this one?

New York tied the score at 14, then allowed the Pacers to go on a 9-2 run to make it 23-16 after one quarter. The Knicks never got as closer than five the rest of the way, and never led Tuesday night.

Instead, Indiana methodically extended the lead by fighting off New York rallies.

After the Knicks got within 35-30 in the second quarter, Indiana pulled way to make it 48-34 at halftime. When New York closed to 54-43 in the third, Indiana scored seven straight. And when the Knicks finally cut the deficit to 69-61 in the fourth, Indiana went on another 7-0 run to retake control.

But if the Pacers have learned anything over the past year, it's this: The series is not over.

"I think we have to go into New York like we're in an elimination game, like we're going about to get eliminated and play like we're down 1-3," Hill said. "I think if we do that and play with the same type of energy and passion that we played with tonight, we can come away with a win. But it's not going to be easy."

Notes: The defending WNBA champion Indiana Fever were honored during a break in the game. ... Miller, the former Pacers star working the game for TNT, waved to the crowd that was chanting his name after a highlight reel from a previous Pacers-Knicks series was shown on the replay board. ... Former Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti and Colts players Robert Mathis, Cory Redding and Samson Satele all attended the game. ... Smith and Anthony were a combined 16 of 45 from the field on Tuesday.

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Pacers 93, Knicks 82

THE FACTS: George Hill stepped into Indiana's rotating spotlight, scoring 26 points to lead the Pacers to the brink of their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in nearly a decade with a 93-82 victory over New York Tuesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana takes a 3-1 series lead into Madison Square Garden for Game 4 Thursday night against a Knicks team that has yet to unlock the Pacers' stifling defense. Paul George had 18 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Pacers, who outrebounded the Knicks 54-36 and held them to less than 36 percent shooting (.356) for the second game in a row. Carmelo Anthony scored 24 and J.R. Smith 19 for New York, but they needed 45 combined shots to generate those 43 points.

QUOTABLE: "He was spectacular, maybe the best game I've ever seen him play. He was just making all the winning plays. He not only executed our offense, he bailed us out a few times when things broke down late in the shot clock." -- Indiana coach Frank Vogel on Hill.

THE STAT: Indiana is 7-0 in the playoffs when Hill scores at last 14 points, 0-3 otherwise.

TURNING POINT: After Indiana controlled most of the first half in building a 48-34 lead, the Knicks came out on the attack in the third quarter, getting inside the Indiana defense and sending center Roy Hibbert to the bench with four fouls with 7:17 left and the Pacers holding onto a 54-43 lead. Lance Stephenson hit a huge 3-pointer, then Hill drove for points in the next two possessions to push the lead back to 18. When the Knicks closed to 69-61 early in the fourth quarter, Stephenson again stepped forward with a 3-pointer and a drive and there would be no further threats.

QUOTABLE II: "It takes four games to get out of this series. We go home, we handle our business at home and we get back here on Friday and see if we can force Game 7. That's what I'm thinking. That's the only way I'm thinking." -- New York coach Mike Woodson.

NOT: Anthony shot 9-for-23, while Smith was 7-for-22. ... Smith is now shooting .281 overall for the series, .231 from the 3-point line. ... George continued to struggle with his shot, going 6-for-19 including 1-for-9 from the arc. He is 10-for-36 overall, 3-for-21 from the arc in the last two games. ... Iman Shumpert shot 0-for-6, with five of the misses coming from the 3-point line.

QUOTABLE III: "We're a deep team and the way we played tonight we can be a great team. Everybody had a hand in the pile." -- Hill.

NOTABLE: Woodson changed his starting lineup, going big with Kenyon Martin at power forward next to center Tyson Chandler, sending Pablo Prigioni to the bench. The lineup (Raymond Felton, Shumpert, Anthony, Martin and Chandler) had not played together at any point this season and was outscored 24-12 by Indiana's starters. ... Prigioni played just 3:26 off the bench. ... In seven postseason wins, Indiana has outrebounded opponents by 106. ... The Pacers are 5-0 at home in the playoffs with all the victories by double figures. The average margin is 15.4. ... The Knicks lost their fifth consecutive road playoff game and haven't won a postseason game in Indianapolis since 1999. ... Indiana has made more 3-pointers than New York (34-28) in the series. ... Jason Kidd was scoreless for the eighth consecutive game dating back to April 23. He has shot 0-for-16 overall, 0-for-10 from the arc in that span. ... Shumpert started but played just 16 minutes, missing all six of his shots. ... David West (10 points, 10 rebounds) had a double-double for the Pacers.

UP NEXT: Game 5 Thursday at New York, Game 6 (if necessary) Saturday at Indiana, Game 7 (if necessary) Monday at New York.